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Applying to Business School

Application
Entrance Essay
High School/College Transcripts
Recommendation Letters
Resume
Test Scores

Application

Every undergraduate program requires an application for admission. At most schools, the application can be completed entirely online. It will ask for your full name, address, place of citizenship or residency, your high school or community college grades, awards you have received, volunteer services you have participated in, school clubs you have joined, sports and instruments you have played, and languages you know how to speak. Many times applications will ask about your parents and what their highest level of education is. If you have a job, the application will have a place for you to list how long you have worked and what did. Take your time filling out the application and be sure you proof read for grammatical errors and typos. This is a first thing a school sees about you.

Most applications require that you pay a fee to submit them. This fee is to cover the cost of the application review process. The cost may depend on the location of the school, whether the school is public or private, the size of the school and its student body, and the apparent prestige of the university.

Entrance Essay

Most programs will require that you submit an essay with your application. The school will usually outline a topic and specify the length of your essay. You may be asked to write 1–2 pages describing your career goals and how you feel pursuing a degree in business will help you achieve your goals.

Consider This...

Look at examples and tips on writing a good entrance essay.
Never copy an essay you find on the Internet or in a book word for word. However, it is okay to look at samples of other essays. There are many places that you’ll find tips on writing an entrance essay. A Google search is the best place to start.

Follow the directions the school provides.
As you read the requirements for the essay, it is important that you follow these directions exactly. This means, if there are a maximum number of pages or words allowed, you do not exceed these limits. If you are applying to more than one school, you have to be much more organized in preparing your essays to be sure you fulfill each school’s requirements. You will likely have to write several versions of your essay depending on the requirements of each school. This can become very time consuming, so be sure you double check your application deadlines and give yourself plenty of time to write high-quality essays.

Prove you can write with thoughtful paragraphs and good grammar.
Be sure you “show-off” your writing skills. Entrance essays can be tedious reading for admissions officers, so keeping them interesting is a high-priority. Your essays should follow a standard format, your paragraphs should be complete and interesting, your sentences should flow together, and your words should speak from the heart.

Proof read several times and have someone else read it.
Don’t ruin your chances for admission with grammatical errors and typos. Make sure you have others read your essay for spelling and punctuation down falls.

Be Professional!
The appearance and tone of your essay is extremely important. Do not use hard to read fonts or colored type. Do not use colored paper. Do not use slang. If your application requires a printed version of your essay, buy some high-quality paper. The overall tone of your essay should be respectful and professional.

High School/College Transcripts

An "official transcript" is an unopened copy of your records from the high school or previous colleges that you have attended. The primary area to be aware of here is the cost, especially if you are applying to more than one school. Every time you request a copy of your official transcripts, you will have to pay a fee. If you apply to 10 schools, you could be looking at quite a bit of money.

Recommendation Letters

There is a high probability that the school will require one if not three letters of recommendation. Or, require that you have your school guidance counselor complete a recommendation form. Although letters of recommendation are usually the last thing an admissions committee reviews, it is still important to be sure they are going to add strength to your application. In most cases, it is appropriate that you do not read the letters that your recommenders write for you. Because of this, some schools will have individuals who are writing a recommendation letter submit it directly to the school. Your best writers will likely be coaches, teachers you have had more than once, club leaders, or supervisors you have had in your place of employment.

Be sure to give your recommenders enough time to write your letter. At least a week if not longer is appropriate.

And lastly, thank you cards or letters are always a requirement.

Resume

Some undergraduate-level programs, will require that you submit a resume. You may have already written a resume in one of your high school classes. If you have never written a resume, there are many books and websites that will help you get started. A good place to begin is at your high school's career services or guidance counselor’s office. Your resume doesn’t have to be anything drastically different than you would provide to a potential employer, just be sure it is current. This is your opportunity to show your work experience, volunteer activities, awards, and professionalism.

Test Scores

As with many post-secondary educational degree programs, (especially in the US) you will be required to pass a standardized test prior to admission. The first thing you will need to do is find out which test your degree program requires, as well as the minimum score that must be obtained for admission. For business majors in the US, the majority of schools will require that your application include an SAT score or the ACT score. If you plan to attend a school in a country where the native language is not your first language, you will probably have to take a language fluency test. For example, if you are going to study in the US and English is not your native language, you will likely have to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) in addition to your SAT or ACT.

All of these examinations are offered at a variety of locations all over the world. The SAT, ACT, and TOEFL charge a fee to take the test. You must register and pay for the exams in advance, as test centers only allow a limited number of students per session. You can register for these tests online at the following Web sites:

You will need to study for the entrance exams you will be required to take. Most of the time when you register for a test you will be given opportunities to download or receive study materials. In addition to the materials that are supplied from the actual organization that administers the test, you can find a variety of test prep books online or in your local bookstore. There are even classes available to help you prepare for the exam. If you are nervous about scoring well on your test, get your hands on as many practice materials as possible to help you become more comfortable with how these tests work. Knowing what you can expect on test day and being able to pace yourself through long, tough questions will be key to your success.